Ripper tip with shin guard confined retaining pin

ABSTRACT

A ripper tip assembly for an earthmoving vehicle having a top member retained upon a shank member solely by means of frictional engagement with the shank member and by means of a bar made from unmachined, common bar stock. The bar is retained in position upon the shank member by means of the overlapping disposition with respect thereto of a shank protecting shin guard, which shin guard is itself retained upon the shank member by means of a single pin fastener.

United States Patent 1191 Radigan Feb. 19, 1974 [5 RIPPER TIP WITH SHIN GUARD 3,520,076 7/1970 Nichols 37 141 R CONFINED RETAINING PIN 3,624,827 Liess et a1. 37/142 R [75] Inventor: Michael T. Radlgan, Manhattan, 111. Primary Examiner Roben E- Pulfrey [73] Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, 111. Assistant ExaminerEugene H. Eickholt [22] Filed M at 26 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fryer, Tjensvold, Phillips &

Lempio [21] Appl. No.: 345,125

[57] ABSTRACT [52] Cl 172/753 37/142 47 A ripp r tip assembly for an earthmoving vehicle hav- 1 int Cl Aolb 15/00 ing a top member retained upon a shank member solely y means of frictional engagement with the [58] Field of Search37/141 R 141 T 142 R 142 A 56/296 o 5 753. 5 shank member and by means of a bar made from unmachined, common bar stock. The bar is retained in position upon the shank member by means of the [56] References cued overlapping disposition with respect thereto of a shank UNITED STATES PATENTS protecting shin guard, which shin guard is itself re- 3,704,753 12/1972 Hasforth et a1 172/700 tained upon the shank member by means of a single 3,254,727 6/1966 Helton et a1....'.... 172/719 pin fasten 3,085,635 4/1963 Livermore 172/719 X 3,394,765 7/1968 Davis 172/753 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 20 11 22 13 i 9 8 12 7 17 f I 1 1% 2 RIPPER TIP WITH SHIN GUARD CONFINED RETAINING PIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ripper devices which are adapted to earthmoving vehicles are oftimes utilized in very severe terrain conditions. Although the materials from which ripper tips and their adaptors or shank members are fabricated are generally very hard and durable, a high wear rate and frequent need for replacement thereof are often exhibited.

Because such parts must be frequently replaced in the field and because ripper equipment is generally attached in plural to earthmoving vehicles, a ripper tip assembly having few parts for rapid and facile servicing and having parts fabricated from inexpensive readily obtainable materials has long been desired.

The instant invention provides a ripper tip assembly which requires only one conventional fastening means, such as a knock-out pin or the like. The actual ripper tip member is retained in position by frictional engagement with a supporting shank member and by a bar member made from common, unmachined bar stock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention provides an economical and readily serviceable ripper tip assemblage comprising a ripper shank member upon which is surroundingly mounted a hardened ripper tip member having aperture means therethrough which register with bore means in said support shank member. Through the ap* erture and bore means, a piece of common bar stock is inserted to fixedly retain the tip member axially upon the support shank member. The bar stock member is prevented from axial movement within the apertures and bore means only by the expedient placement of overlapping portions of a shank protector or shin guard member which is disposed upon and connected to a proximal portion of the support shank member by means of conventional fastening means.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a readily removable and installable ripper tip assemblage which has few parts, is simple-in construction, and is partially fabricated from readily available, inexpensive bar stock.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevation of the lower earth-engaging portion of a ripper tip assembly showing a shank member, tip member, and shin guard disposed in operative orientation; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring concurrently to FIGS. 1 and 2 f the drawing, at 6 is shown the lower portion of a ripper tip supporting shank member of the type generally attached to an earthmoving vehicle for ripping operations. The shank member is generally tapered as shown and culminates distally in a wedged or conically-shaped tip or member from the bore 10.

nose portion 4. A shoulder 9 is provided between the v A tip member 2 is provided for mounting upon the shank member. As may be readily appreciated from the drawing, the tip member, which is made from hardened metal or a metal-added composition, is preferably conical or semiconically-shaped and has an outer taper which generally follows the contour of the shank member. It has a distally disposed, enlarged portion and a reduced portion 15 extending and separated therefrom at a shoulder portion 7. A receiving chamber 17, which closely approximates the dimensions of the shank nose portion 4, is provided within the tip member 2. The receiving chamber culminates in a contoured surface 3 which is adapted to abut the frontalmost surface of the tip portion 4.

A pair of apertures or bores 12 and 14 are provided in the reduced section portion 15. It should be noted at this point that if other than a conically or semiconically closed shape for the reduced portion of the tip member 2 were to be selected, separate flat furcations having parallel sides and mating surfaces with the tip portion 4 (not shown) could be provided for the apertures l2 and 14.

With the tip member 2 fitted upon the nose or tip portion 4, the surface 3 is in firm contact with the contoured frontal surfaces of the tip portion 4 for support thereof. The interior of the chamber 17, though shown to provide a slight clearance for the tip portion 4, actually fits quite closely to the tip portion and provides support for the tip member while allowing minute movement thereof from side to side so as to assist in- .stallation and removal of the tip member upon the shank member.

,Insertable through the bore 10 and extending through the apertures 12 and 14, is a bar member 8 made of common bar stock which may be plain cut or slightly beveled at the ends thereof so as to present smooth edges. The bar member is preferably of uniform cross section throughout its length and requires no special machining or heat treatment. The retaining bar member 8 would normally be susceptible to sliding axially out of position during use of the ripper assemblage except for the provision of the shin guard retaining means of the present invention. The shin guard or shank protector is shown generally at 16. It is a generally U-shaped member having a pair of downwardly extending legs 18 and 20, each of which is provided with an aperture 11. The shin guard has a closed upper surface which protectively folds over the upper surfaces of the shank member and the reduced portion of the tip member 15. With the shin guard in position, it extends in covering protective relation over the distal enlarged portion of the shank member 6 and the reduced portion 15 of the tip member 2 and terminates near the shoulder portion 7. The inner surfaces of the shin guard legs 18 and 20 extend over the open ends of the apertures 12 and 14 and effectively prevent axial movement of the bar member 8 therefrom so as to prevent accidental displacement of the tip member 2. The shin guard is retained upon the shank member 6 by means of a retaining pin 22 which may be of conventional design but which is .preferably the quick-change type and maybe provided with an enlarged resilient center portion 24 or with a snap ring fitted into grooves within the bore 13 (not shown).

When mounted in position, neither the bar stock bar member 8 nor the retaining pin 22 experience any direct shear loading. Loads which act longitudinally along the forward end of the tip member 2 are resisted by the lateral and frontal surfaces of the nose portion 4 and are distributed within the tip member 2 by the junction surface 3. Since the bar member 8 is not a load bearing member, no special heat treatment of the common bar stock from which it is made is required.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that these embodiments are capable of variations and modifications which are well within the spirit of inventive concepts. No limitation to the precise details set forth is intended and all alterations of the basic invention which fall within the scope of the appended claims are engrossed by the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A ripper device including; ripper tip means for engaging and penetrating materials, shank means for supportingly mounting said ripper tip means, said ripper tip means being removably mounted upon a portion of said shank means, bar means for retaining said ripper tip means on said shank means, shin guard means mounted upon a portion of said shank means for protecting said shank portion from wear and for overlapping end portions of said bar means and confining said bar means in substantially fixed position, said shin guard means being the sole means for holding said end portions of said bar means, removable pin means for retaining said shin guard means upon said shank means.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said shank means includes a tapered nose portion and wherein said ripper tip means includes a correspondingly internally tapered portion supportingly mounted 'upon said tapered nose portion, said internally tapered portion of 1 said ripper tipv means directly engaging and abutting said tapered nose portion.

3. The invention of clairnZ wherein aperture means are provided in said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip means, and wherein bore means are provided in said tapered nose portion of said shank means, said bar means being disposed concurrently within said aperture means and bore means.

4. The invention of claim 2 whereinsaid ripper tip means includes a ripper tip member having a substantially pointed end portion and a shoulder portion and increasing in cross-sectional dimension extending axially from said end portion to said shoulder portion, said tip member having a reduced uniform crosssectional dimension from said shoulder portion extending axially to an opposite end portion.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip means extends axially from said opposite end portion along said ripper tip member beyond said shoulder portion and wherein ap erture means are provided in said ripper tip member between said opposite end portion and said shoulder portion and wherein bore means are provided in said shank means nose portion, said bar means being disposed concurrently within said bore means and said aperture means.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said tapered nose portion has an end surface for supportingly engaging said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip member and has a second shoulder portion spaced axially from said end surface, said opposite end portion of said ripper tip member being disposed adjacent to said second shoulder portion when said bar means is disposed within said bore means and said aperture means.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein said shin guard means includes a shin guard member having a top surface portion and a pair of side portions extending normally from said top surface portion, second bore means in said shank means, second aperture means in said shin guard side portions, and said pin means being disposed concurrently within said second bore means and said second aperture means.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said shin guard member extends axially along said shank means in overlapping protective relation thereto beyond said second shoulder portion and beyond said bore means and aperture means to a position adjacent to said 

1. A ripper device including; ripper tip means for engaging and penetrating materials, shank means for supportingly mounting said ripper tip means, said ripper tip means being removably mounted upon a portion of said shank means, bar means for retaining said ripper tip means on said shank means, shin guard means mounted upon a portion of said shank means for protecting said shank portion from wear and for overlapping end portions of said bar means and confining said bar means in substantially fixed position, said shin guard means being the sole means for holding said end portions of said bar means, removable pin means for retaining said shin guard means upon said shank means.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said shank means includes a tapered nose portion and wherein said ripper tip means includes a correspondingly internally tapered portion supportingly mounted upon said tapered nose portion, said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip means directly engaging and abutting said tapered nose portion.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein aperture means are provided in said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip means, and wherein bore means are provided in said tapered nose portion of said shank means, said bar means being disposed concurrently within said aperture means and bore means.
 4. The invention of claim 2 wherein said ripper tip means includes a ripper tip member having a substantially pointed end portion and a shoulder portion and increasing in cross-sectional dimension extending axially from said end portion to said shoulder portion, said tip member having a reduced uniform cross-sectional dimension from said shoulder portion extending axially to an opposite end portion.
 5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip means extends axially from said opposite end portion along said ripper tip member beyond said shoulder portion and wherein aperture means are provided in said ripper tip member between said opposite end portion and said shoulder portion and wherein bore means are provided in said shank means nose portion, said bar means being disposed concurrently within said bore means and said aperture means.
 6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said tapered nose portion has an end surface for supportingly engaging said internally tapered portion of said ripper tip member and has a second shoulder portion spaced axially from said end surface, said opposite end portion of said ripper tip member being disposed adjacent to said second shoulder portion when said bar means is disposed within said bore means and said aperture means.
 7. The invention of claim 4 wherein said shin guard means includes a shin guard member having a top surface portion and a pair of side portions extending normally from said top surface portion, second bore means in said shank means, second aperture means in said shin guard side portions, and said pin means being disposed concurrently within said second bore means and said second aperture means.
 8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said shin guard member extends axially along said shank means in overlapping protective relation thereto beyond said second shoulder portion and beyond said bore means and aperture means to a position adjacent to said shoulder portion of said ripper tip member. 